My dumb idea about Kyle Trask

[Phil Plantier]

I am very much not a draft expert. The last college football game I watched was in 2017 (Rutgers lost to Eastern Michigan). Apologies for my speaking without any knowledge.

All that said, every day I become more certain the Pats will draft Kyle Trask. Probably in the late first round.

Why? (insert Always Sunny red string pic here)

1. Patriots always say they focus on what a prospect can do, rather than can't do, and Trask sounds like an accurate passer who makes few mistakes. In the SEC.
2. Patriots like multi-year starters at QB
3. Belichick *always* leaks that he likes a QB that he doesn't actually draft (Tebow, Lamar Jackson, Josh Rosen, too many examples to count). Now I'm hearing how excited he is about Fields.
4. If Trask's big minus is mobility, having a superb OL is going to offset that.

It sounds like, given time, Trask can make plays. I think that's what the Pats are going to want in a QB.

Now tell me why I'm an idiot.

 

[Cellar-Door]

You're not an idiot, but......
1. Not having mobility hurts a QB in this era, and it makes you a lot less versatile in what you can do on offense, Bill loves versatility.
2. His arm isn't that good.

I think if you're going with a non-mobile QB, you probably want him to be able to no-doubt make all the throws. If you're not getting either, I guess I don't see the case for Trask over Jones then.

I really think we either trade up for one of the big 4, or wait on a Mond/Newman type.

However... who knows, there isn't a real clear pattern to the QBs Bill has drafted lately. Usually he likes some mobility, but not always.

 

[DJnVa]

If they like him, and I don't know if they do, they certainly won't pick him at #15. I think he could be there at #46.

 

[Phil Plantier]

2. His arm isn't that good.

I think this is the biggest hole in my argument. But then I'm wondering: why is he mocked in the 2nd round? It sounds like his lack of arm strength is footwork-based. Is that something that's fixable?

they certainly won't pick him at #15. I think he could be there at #46.

I think they'll trade down to the end of the first round and take him to make sure they get him.

 

[Cellar-Door]

I think this is the biggest hole in my argument. But then I'm wondering: why is he mocked in the 2nd round? It sounds like his lack of arm strength is footwork-based. Is that something that's fixable?

I mean, Mac Jones' arm isn't that good and he's being mocked in the top 10 some places. Teams can have different views of what constitutes NFL arm strength, and whether it can be improved. Trask to me is a less mobile Mac Jones, so if you like Mac Jones, maybe you like Trask, if you don't like Jones, you probably don't like Trask.

A lot of it comes down to what you value. Personally the QB (outside the top group) that interests me the most in Newman, because he has big-time tools, and I think you can try to teach a QB technique and field reading, where if you're wrong on borderline arm or pocket mobility, that guy just isn't going to ever be anything.

All QB prospects have some flaws, anybody not locked in top 5-8 picks is going to have more flaws, and be more variable in how they are viewed by different evaluators.

 

[SMU_Sox]

What’s funny is quite a few of us actually like Trask! You’d think he wouldn’t be my type given I love the dual-threats...

The deal with Trask is his feet and lower body mechanics are a mess. He also needs quite a bit of room to throw the ball. His accuracy suffers and he throws a “dead ball” because of his lower body.
I think if you fixed his mechanics and his accuracy improved because of it he could be a low level starter. I like how he processes. I like his decision making.

Personally I think he’s a backup in the NFL and even then his lack of mobility might sink him there.

If they want someone with a quick release and decision making I think they might rather go for Mac Jones because he is slightly more mobile with a more compact delivery.

 

[Mooch]

Everything that Kyle Trask does, Mac Jones does better. I'd much rather use a first round pick on Jones.

 

[bsj]

Trask feels somewhere between a QB we know can be the guy going forward...and Jarrett Stidham. He may be good...dont get me wrong. But I'm not sold.

I would much rather, given how few holes there are on this roster based on the masterful free agency period, that they do what is needed to get where they need to be in Rd 1 to get an elite guy. That said, I really have no idea so we will see

 

[BaseballJones]

I don't understand why not being a good running QB is a disadvantage in today's game. I get that more and more QBs are good runners, but a QB who can run the offense, throw accurate passes, and make great decisions can lead a team to a TON of points, especially with the rules today.

 

[Cellar-Door]

I don't understand why not being a good running QB is a disadvantage in today's game. I get that more and more QBs are good runners, but a QB who can run the offense, throw accurate passes, and make great decisions can lead a team to a TON of points, especially with the rules today.

It's not just being a good runner, though that helps it's being generally mobile.
The QBs who can't move who are left in the league as good starters are basically all old and make up for it with a ton of experience (and young guys don't get that because they get killed if they can't move).
It gives you a much lower margin of error. Your line has to hold up longer, and keep guys hands down out of the throwing lanes, your pass catchers need to get separation quicker, the opponent doesn't need to spy the QB, the pass rush has to worry less about getting caught inside, or leaving a big gap in the middle.
Basically, you need to do everything much better as a QB to make up for the loss of mobility, and even really good QBs if they lack mobility can be in real trouble with a bad line matchup, where a more mobile one can punish the pass rush even if their line is losing the matchup.
A lot of the good writers on the NFL have been talking about it for a while, but the easiest way to look at is this..... who is the youngest good QB in the league who isn't mobile? Maybe Cousins?

 

[BaseballJones]

I think a huge part of that is because the college game now favors guys who run, so those are the best players coming out. I mean, I get that in a vacuum, it's better to be able to run than not. But I'd still prefer a smart, accurate passing QB over a guy who isn't good at throwing, but who can run. I.e., Cam Newton.

 

[ZMart100]

I agree. I am not willing to give up much passing ability for running ability, but I am not a Trask fan. It's the release that bothers me. It is a long and looping wind up. His footwork seems more easily fixable than his arm action.